I allude to those many occasions on which the oldest documents extant, in narrating some incident which really presents no special difficulty, are observed to diverge into hopeless variety of expression.

An example of the thing referred to will best explain my meaning.

Take then the incident of our Lord's paying tribute,--set down in St.Matt.xvii.

25, 26.
The received text exhibits,--'And when he [Peter] had entered ([Greek: hote eiselthen]) into the house, Jesus was beforehand with him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon?
Of whom do earthly kings take toll or tribute?
of their sons or of strangers ?' Here, for [Greek: hote eiselthen], Codex B (but no other uncial) substitutes [Greek: elthonta]: Codex [Symbol: Aleph] (but no other) [Greek: eiselthonta]: Codex D (but no other) [Greek: eiselthonti]: Codex C (but no other) [Greek: hote elthon]: while a fifth lost copy certainly contained [Greek: eiselthonton]; and a sixth, [Greek: elthonton auton].

A very fair specimen this, be it remarked in passing, of the _concordia discors_ which prevails in the most ancient uncial copies[179].